Sanjeev Rajput secures India's 8th Olympic quota in shooting with silver
Rio de Janeiro: Sanjeev Rajput secured India's eighth Olympic quota in shooting with a silver medal finish in the men's 50m rifle, 3 positions, event at the World Cup here on Thursday. Thirty-eight-year-old Rajput shot 462.0 in the eight-man finals, finishing second behind Petar Gorsa of Croatia (462.2). Gorsa won the Olympic quota in air rifle. China's Zhang Changhong clinched the bronze medal.
Rajput, a former Indian Navy marksman from Haryana's Yamuna Nagar, could have won gold but for a poor last shot. This could have been his second World Cup gold after the he won one in 2011.
Rajput had been denied a chance to compete in the Rio Olympics after his quota had been exchanged for a shotgun spot by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
The Navy marksman staged a remarkable comeback after a poor start in the finals. His first three shots were in the 9s. However, a 8.8 final shot meant he finished behind Gorsa by just 0.2 point. Rajput had qualified for the final in second place (1,180), following a successful appeal by India after a scoring equipment malfunction. He began the first kneeling position poorly but recovered well to move up to fifth after 10 shots.
By the end of the 15th and final shot in the position he was at fourth, which he maintained till the end of the second prone position series of 15 shots. He still had some ground to cover and responded with a brilliant standing position series - a 10.9 on the 36th and an encore on the 43rd, putting him in contention for gold.
Had he shot better than the 8.8, Rajput could have won his second ISSF World Cup gold medal.
However, the effort was good enough for Rajput to join India's other quota holders Anjum Moudgil, Apurvi Chandela, Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma, Divyansh Singh Panwar, Rahi Sarnobat and Manu Bhaker.
The World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medallist shot 392 in kneeling, 398 in prone and 390 in standing to make it to the eight-man finals.
China's Changhong Zhang topped the qualifications with a total of 1,181. Among the other Indians competing in the event, Chain Singh finished 49th with 1161, Parul Kumar was 57th with 1148. Only five shooters were eligible to win Olympic quota in the event.
In the men's 10m air pistol event, Saurabh Chaudhary (584 points) and Abhishek Verma (582 points) qualified for the final, while Gaurav Rana was 44th with 571.
In the women's 25m pistol, Chinki Yadav finished 10th (584 points), Annu Raj was placed Singh 25th (579 points) and Abhidnya Ashok Patil was 53rd (572 points).
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AAP indulging in 'dangerous vendetta politics': Raghav Chadha after meeting President Murmu
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of indulging in 'vendetta politics' and misusing the state machinery to target the MPs who recently quit the party and merged with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha, along with three other MPs, met President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday and submitted a representation alleging harassment and "politically motivated" action against them following their exit from AAP.
Rajya Sabha MPs Rajinder Gupta and Ashok Mittal were part of the delegation.
"All those MPs who exercised their constitutional right to express disagreement with the Aam Aadmi Party and chose to leave it, and all these incidents and developments, have been presented today before the President of India. I also want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that as long as we were obedient, we were considered cultured. The moment we left, we were branded corrupt," Chadha told reporters here after the meeting.
He alleged that several former AAP MPs who have joined the BJP are facing intimidation and coercive actions from state agencies.
"The Aam Aadmi Party, which accuses everyone else of revenge politics, is today itself indulging in dangerous vendetta politics. Since April 24, when we left AAP and merged with the BJP, our MPs are being systematically targeted and harassed," he said.
Citing specific instances, Chadha claimed that former cricketer and MP Harbhajan Singh has been attacked, while industrialist and MP Rajendra Gupta's business operations have allegedly been disrupted.
"We left the Aam Aadmi Party on April 24, 2026, and merged with the BJP. Since then, harassment of our MPs has begun. First, World Cup-winning cricketer Harbhajan Singh had "traitor" written outside his house. Stones were thrown at his residence with the help of Punjab Police, and offensive slogans were raised targeting his family," he alleged.
"Then, our colleague Rajinder Gupta, a Padma Shri awardee and an industrialist running a major factory in Punjab's Malwa region--providing livelihood to around 30,000 people--had his factory targeted. The Punjab government allegedly cut off its water supply, and the Pollution Board conducted raids to initiate its closure," he said.
He further claimed that cases have been registered against MP Sandeep Pathak, terming them "malicious and fabricated".
"These FIRs and notices are so frivolous that they are not worth the paper they are written on. The judiciary will tear them apart," Chadha said.
He warned the AAP government that such actions could have serious consequences. "Using vigilance, the Pollution Board, and the police for political revenge is a dangerous game. You may have started it, but the end will not be good. This must stop," he said.
"The AAP has a government in one state and control over the police there. The BJP has governments in 21 states and control over police forces in those states," he added.
Chadha also alleged that attempts are being made to target him next through "fabricated cases" and claimed that social media campaigns are being run to malign them.
Appealing to Punjab government officials, he urged them not to act under political pressure. "I want to tell officials that you are respected officers. Do not succumb to threats of transfer or suspension. Act according to law and in national interest," he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP also took a swipe at the AAP, saying those who invoke Mahatma Gandhi's ideals are now misusing state machinery for political purposes. "The people of Punjab must know how their government is being used to settle political scores," Chadha added.
Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak alleged that the party is now resorting to coercive measures out of "fear and panic".
"We joined the Aam Aadmi Party because it showed the country a dream -- a dream of starting a new kind of politics, an honest form of politics. While being there, due to ideological reasons and after witnessing several inconsistencies, we decided to leave the party," he said.
"Out of fear and panic, the Aam Aadmi Party is now filing FIRs. They are conducting raids in factories and trying to intimidate people through false FIRs. I want to say 'go ahead, file FIRs', but do not back off afterwards. We will fight legally," he told reporters.
Advising the AAP government, Pathak asserted that governance, not intimidation, is the only way forward.
"You cannot save a government through such dirty tactics. If you want to retain power, you must work honestly. If you think you can stop us through false and fabricated FIRs, that is not possible. We have stepped out ready to sacrifice everything and will do what is right for the country," he said.
Pathak mentioned that the President assured them that constitutional protections would be upheld.
Taking a swipe at the ruling party, Chadha said its tenure in Punjab is now short-lived. "This government has only a few months left; it will go. They will simply board the Shatabdi and return to Delhi. They have no future in Punjab," he said.
Later, in a post on X, Chadha said that he, along with three other MPs, conveyed to the President how the AAP's Punjab government is misusing state machinery to target them for exercising their constitutional rights.
"The party that once cried vendetta is now practising its most toxic form," he wrote.
"We take strength from the President's assurance that constitutional rights and democratic choices must be respected," he added, while likening the AAP's conduct to that of a "bitter and vindictive" former ally.
